The other side of the family

 Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Today we are going to visit Vickie's father's roots in North Carolina. As we head down the winding mountain road from our cabin to the main road, we pass guests of the state park resort mounted on the park's horses to go riding - there must have been 20 of them. There really is a lot to do in this state park - besides the cabins, there is a camping area as well as 2 lodges for a choice of places to stay. There are 2 restaurants, 2 gift shops, a golf course, a zip line, a tram down to the river where you can go fishing, swimming, a water park for kids, lots of playgrounds and picnic areas, and I can't remember what else. No wonder Johny and Vickie's kids loved it here. Vickie's sister and her family have met up with them here - Vickie's parents have also come with them.

As we head out, Johnny notices the low tire pressure light come on. He thinks it is from some of the rough road we went over yesterday. We drive through Athens again and I think we headed to Princeton where one of Vickie's cousins has a repair shop. He is away today, but they will take a look at the tire - and they take it right away! I was outside in the sunshine while Johnny and Vickie went inside. I start talking to a gentleman waiting for word on his car. I strike up a conversation about how nice the weather is - I'm surprised that the humidity isn't bothering me like at home - that my sister-in-law has family here including the owner of this shop. He says that he is from nearby. J & V come out, and I tell this fellow that this is my sister-in-law whose family is from this area. All of a sudden he starts telling us that his mother raised him and his 10 brothers and sisters - his father who was 36 and worked in the coal mine had a scuffle with his uncle when this man was 6 years old. His uncle went home and grabbed his rifle.  That night his mother thought she saw something outside - she was holding a lantern - his father went out on the porch - this man's uncle shot his father dead on the front porch - his uncle ran away. The man said his father's body laid on that porch till morning - I guess it was only then that his mother or his older brother were able to go for help. He said his mother was 35 with 11 kids from 6 months to 16 years old - she got no help from either side of his family - she raised the 11 kids on her own - she was a saint. He said she raised them polite and good. They had kerosene lights. They could not afford coal so his brothers cut wood. She was lucky to receive Aid to Dependent Children - she was given $18 monthly for each child and $30 monthly for herself - $240 monthly. This fellow said he eventually joined the Navy - was stationed in Chicago - married a woman with a kid there - and  then they had one of their own. When the kids were ready for school, he wanted to move back here to West Virginia - his wife agreed. She didn't like it at first then fell in love with it. He said he had just retired from the highway department. He was in tears telling us some of his story - he said that he didn't know why he was telling us - he thinks about it and gets emotional, but he never talks about it. We were thanking him for telling us - I was in tears myself, and I think Vickie was too. We chatted for a few more minutes until his granddaughter came to pick him up. This is what traveling is all about - you can read about a place in a book but talking to the locals puts life into a place. This is the shame of the coronavirus - it has limited traveling and meeting new people. Everyone we met on this trip was so friendly and welcoming - I wish we had been able to talk to more people. But I am so so thankful that we had the opportunity to connect with this gentleman.

They plugged a hole in the tire, and we are on our way. We pass a sign for Reilly Plantation. Plantation? Were there plantations in West Virginia? I thought it was all coal mining territory. I look it up on my phone. Apparently George Washington's two brothers had plantations in the low lands of the Appalachians. I couldn't find information about a Reilly Plantation, but I did find a Blennerhassett Plantation! This name screamed out at me - Blennerhassett!?! - this  is a family and town near Tralee in County Kerry - about 2 hours from our home in Sneem!! This Blennerhassett fellow apparently inherited those lands in Kerry. He emigrated to the United States to escape a scandal when he married his first cousin - that was considered incestuous. He bought an island in the Ohio River and built a mansion. He had ties to Aaron Burr, and his fortunes went downhill after Burr was accused of treason. The mansion was restored and is now a state park, Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park. If I ever get back this way, I would love to visit it!

We pass a church with a sign saying "There are no unwanted children, Only unwilling mothers and fathers." Abortion is a tough issue - I personally don't believe in abortion, and I don't want to get into the pros and cons now - but I certainly wouldn't vote for Trump because of that one issue. There were plenty of Trump signs all over West Virginia - most houses with Trump signs had multiple Trump signs - there were large Trump signs on the sides of the roads. One said "Trump 2020 - No More Bullshit." We did see Biden/Harris signs, but they were smaller and less frequent. There were religious radio stations - Johnny would be trying to find a station and would come across them.  He quickly changed the station. When he couldn't find anything good to listen to, he pulled out some of his CDs - so we were entertained while we were driving.

The highway goes right through a mountain - I think it was the East River Mountain Tunnel that goes from West Virginia to Virginia. We go through another mountain in the Walker Mountain Tunnel. We cross over the New River. We are on route 52 South. There are a lot of road works - road works have been everywhere. We pass farms on rolling hills - even see a few beige colored sheep! We also pass a Christmas Tree farm. We are up and down mountain roads - there are signs to be careful going down a 9% grade on very twisting steep mountain roads. I get a start when I see a sign for "Run Away Truck Ramps" - the ramps are pull offs that go back uphill to slow down a truck. We pass a logging camp near the Mayo River in either Virginia or North Carolina. We are driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway which is also in Virginia and North Carolina. There are an awful lot of red brick houses with nicely manicured lawns - there are also a lot of Trump/Pence signs. I also notice that the soil was red! Does that account for the red brick buildings? Another surprise is an Islamic Center in Martinsville, Virginia - I don't know why I am surprised - I just didn't expect it - maybe it is all the Trump signs - maybe it was unconscious bias. Anyway, I'm happy to see it.

We stop to eat at Clarence's Steak and Seafood House in Ridgeway, Virginia. I think Vickie said that they had been there before with her aunt and uncle. Our waitress tells us that she has family in Fall River - an hour's drive from my house.  She is a travel waitress - she winters in Virginia and summers in Florida - she is 2 hours north of my son and daughter-in-law in Fort Myers.  

We hit the road again for Eden, North Carolina - we cross into North Carolina at 2:41pm. We pass the Shiloh Temple of Eden. I don't know why I am surprised at the diversity - maybe because of so so many Christian churches - I guess I had never really thought about it before - I suppose to be truthful I always pictured West Virginia as white redneck evangelists or hillbillies. I am ashamed of that bias after talking to that lovely gentleman this morning.  

Today J&V know exactly where we are going. We arrive at the First Church of the Brethren in Eden. It was a lovely red brick building - a good sized church - it reminded me of the Philips Church in Watertown where I grew up. 

Vickie's grandfather - her father's father - was minister here although I am not sure when or for how long.  Johnny is pointing to her grandfather's memorial brick. There is also a memorial brick for Vickie's parents a little lower down but not in the picture.

Next we headed a couple of streets away to the house Vickie's grandfather had built and where he lived until his death. Vickie's aunt, his daughter, had moved in to care for him. Johnny and Vickie have happy memories of this house. We spend some time there - Johnny brings in the trash barrels. Vickie texts her cousin to say that we are there - he is sorry that he can't meet up with her and Johnny - maybe the next time. 

Our next stop is the cemetery where Vickie's family is buried. We are on route 220 North when I spot a huge Farmers for Trump sign in a yard - there is also a Confederate flag flying. We cross back into Virginia at 5:02 - I'm confused - we seem to be driving a long time to the cemetery, but with the windows open and the radio going, I couldn't hear them talking. Maybe they decided to skip the cemetery - so I settle back for the drive home. Then we are making a left turn and pulling into the cemetery on the right. Johnny tells me that Vickie's grandfather had owned all the surrounding land on both sides of the road. In the picture below the farm beyond the cemetery as well as the land for the cemetery had belonged to Vickie's grandfather. 

The gravestone for Vickie's grandparents. Notice the rolled bales of hay on the top left.

The cemetery is full of Peters and Barnharts - her parents are here. Vickie says that there are also a few other church members buried there.

The Church that Reverend Peters built is just down the road from the cemetery on the left side. It is brick like the other church we visited.

I love this sign - Drive-In or BYO lawn chair!

Johnny is looking over at the farm beyond the cemetery.

Across the street from the church is the stream where church members are baptized - they believe in adult submersion.

I don't know much about the Church of the Bethren - they believe in non-violence and oppose war like the Quakers - they believe in living simply, serving others - they used to wear plain clothes like the Shakers. They follow Jesus' teaching and use the New Testament as their guide. The Church of the Brethren apparently began in Germany - maybe as a result of the Reformation. They eventually emigrated to the United States - many to Pennsylvania. A branch of them moved to Virginia and started this church. Before 1930 ministers were not paid for their services. One of these ministers was Vickie's grandfather Wilford Peters - the church history also mentions Riley Peters, but I don't know if they are related. The present church replaced an older church building in 1904 - I presume this is the church that Vickie's grandfather built. I said to Johnny that Vickie must get her good nature and compassion from this side of her family.

We start back to Pipestem after spending some time in the cemetery and at the Church. My phone only has 5% battery power so I start jotting down notes on a pamphlet I had picked up somewhere.  We are passing a lot of farms - a lot of baled hay wrapped in white plastic - cows - calves - cornfields.  There are a lot of black cows - Johnny says they are Angus - raised for beef. We continue up and down mountain roads - there is forest on both sides. We stop at Burger King and eat in the car - the dining room is closed because of Covid. We pass George Washington National Park. The mountain tops are covered in fog or is it the smoke from the  uncontrolled fires in California? We frequently see 3 crosses on the side of the road or in fields - the middle cross is yellow and the other two are white - I am not sure if there is a special significance to this except the Crucifixion. 

Near the top of a mountain road - forests on both sides.

We come down from the mountains and drive along a river road - lots of people camping and fishing - people living along there as well.

We drive through Princeton, West Virginia and know we are almost home. Vickie's adopted grandfather on her mother's side had lived in Princeton at one time. We drive along downtown - I can tell it was once a thriving city. When the coal industry was at its peak, what normally occurred was that the coal company and the state built up a town and local roads - they provided government buildings, a commissary/company store, theaters, and more to attract upper level managers. They provided houses for the miners - this brought some of the miners in from the mountains. The company also brought in good teachers to teach the upper class children. But most all government offices - including police, court clerks, everything - were elected positions. So it was more important to have teachers whose family would vote for the company backed local officials than to have quality education. When the coal industry started to decline, the coal companies sold the houses they had built for the miners to the miners. A couple years later the coal company closed down the mines, turned out the miners, and abandoned the town. There was no other industry to employ the miners who really knew nothing but mining. Some left for other states, but most stayed hoping that the coal industry would come back. 

There is still some mining around Princeton - we saw a coal train. Johnny says that Princeton is at the intersection of 2 highways so it is more built up every time they visit.  

Setting sun has a red glare.

We stop and get Chinese food to go. We make it home just before dark. The Chinese food is so-so. I picked up my laptop again and did some more research on Vickie's family. Only one day left - Johnny and Vickie say no long road trips tomorrow - Johnny wants to rest up before starting the journey home on Friday.

Searching for family roots.

 Monday, September 14

Not one sound. No sun. I try to sleep with my windows open unless one certain bird makes a loud whooping sound or unless an army of crickets are right outside my windows. The rising sun comes in through my bedroom window in the back of the house. But here in West Virginia there is not one sound outside! And the trees are blocking the sun. Johnny and Vickie had said there was no rush to get up - we would spend a lot of time reading and relaxing. So I was lolling around in my pajamas reading a book on the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky's coal country when I noticed that they were both dressed. They wanted to take a drive to find a cemetery where Vickie's grandfather was buried - well her adopted grandfather. Vickie's mother was adopted, and they wanted to find her adopted father's grave. Vickie had found the name of the cemetery online so we headed out for a visit.

As we headed out of the state park, 2 small deer were on the side of the road. Vickie said that there are a lot of deer around the park - sometimes they come up to the cabins. The hills/mountains are covered with thick evergreens so there is not much of a view coming down the winding road of the park to the main road. This is quite a contrast to the mountains in Kerry which are practically bare of trees except for forestry - there are farmhouses and sheep dotting the mountains.

We headed through Athens which is home to Concord University. I started noticing a lot of churches along the road - fancy new churches, old churches, falling down churches, large churches and small churches. They were different denominations, but Baptists seemed to predominate. This was true everywhere we went.  There were very few Catholic churches.

Athens had some old gingerbread houses that must have been gorgeous at some point. Athens was a busy enough small town with fast food chains, businesses, but there were also many houses that seemed to be falling down like everywhere in this area. 

We were headed to Spanishburg - Vickie had found her grandfather's cemetery listed on findagrave.com. He was buried in Rumberg Cemetery - http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/mercer/cemetery/rumberg.txt told Vickie that: "RUMBERG CEMETERY, CAMP CREEK, MERCER COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA: This information was collected on July16, 2002 by David Hambrick and Ken Bowen and contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.Take Route 19 from Princeton through Spanishburg. The entrance to the cemetery is about a quarter mile on the right after crossing Wolf Creek . The cemetery is in the upper field."

Johnny followed route 19 - we crossed what we thought might be Wolf Creek - there was a work crew repairing the bridge so Johnny stopped and got out to ask them where the cemetery was. No one was sure so we headed up the road which was the right after the bridge. Up, up, up we went - some houses had cars parked in the yard, but no one was around - the front door of one house was open. Johnny followed the road till it changed to a narrow dirt road still heading upward. He didn't think he wanted to follow that road not knowing where it went. So we turned around and headed down. I suggested stopping at the house with the open front door. Johnny turned into a nearby house with 2 cars parked in the driveway. He went up to the front door, but no one answered. As he was almost back to the car, I noticed a pick up truck coming up the hill, and yelled at Johnny to flag it down. He did and went over to talk to the two guys in the truck. I was feeling kind of excited thinking that the two guys in the pick up might be telling Johnny where the cemetery was. He talked to them for quite a bit - at one point he was leaning both hands over the passenger door. I was getting more excited - I said to Vickie that perhaps they knew her family and were giving Johnny a lot of information. I thought to myself maybe we ought to go listen in case Johnny didn't remember all the details. I was about to say this to Vickie when Johnny headed back to the car. "Did they know where the cemetery was?" Johnny said that they weren't from that area but thought there might be a cemetery further up the road. They didn't know Vickie's family - and they were talking to him most of the time about Jesus! What a let down. We continued down the road - Johnny pulled over when we saw a young woman outside in her yard. She wan't sure of a cemetery but said a family lived down that dirt road we had come to, and they might know more. So we headed back up that road and down the one lane dirt road for a bit, but it was a rough road, and we didn't see any house. So we turned around and headed back down to that bridge.

Vickie was checking online and found on https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2365675/rumburg-cemetery that Rumberg Cemetery was "located on route 19-21 between Camp Creek and Wolf Creek upon a hill behind a two story house in Spanishburg, Mercer County, West Virginia." So we drove around what we thought were Camp Creek and Wolf Creek for quite a while, but we had no luck finding that cemetery. The roads off the main road are numbered but in what seems is a random order. We were looking for 19-21 - we found some roads from 19-6 to 19-25 but no 19-21, and the numbers did not go in ascending or descending order. We agreed we needed a county map.

By this time we were getting hungry, Johnny wanted to go to Welch, West Virginia so we did - we found a Cracker Barrel where we stopped to eat. They told us that the wait would be 30 minutes - we decided to try somewhere else, but Johnny wanted to stop into the Cracker Barrel shop before we went back to the car. I had never been to Cracker Barrel so was quite surprised at the Old Country Store - they sell all kinds of things - food, clothes, sporting equipment, Halloween decorations, and more. We poked around - I bought some pecan pralines - I figured that was a southern treat - plus some butterscotch lifesavers. By the time we had finished our purchases, there was no longer a wait so we stayed to eat. I loved the decorations - old portraits, license plates, old farm tools, and more. The tables were well spaced out, and the waitress was wearing a mask. I wasn't sure of West Vrginia's Covid numbers, but West Virginia visitors had been on the Massachusetts list for no need to quarantine until the day before we left - so I felt very safe.

Wilkepedia reports that during the first half of the 20th century Welch became a prosperous city due to the opening of coal mines and the arrival of the railway. After the end of WWII, Welch began to deteriorate - clean oil supplanted filthy coal - steel mines closed. Mechanization resulted in more massive job losses. There was no other employment. Real estate values plummeted. Miners left the region in search of jobs in other states. This is the same story for most of this whole area of West Virginia as well as Kentucky. John Fitzgerald Kennedy visited this area during his presidential campaign. He initiated the War on Poverty to assist the poverty stricken residents of Appalachia.

Welch in 1946

Photo by Russell Lee - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17045508

More recent photo of Welch.

By Russell Lee - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17045508

On our way back to Pipestem, we stopped at a Kroger grocery store. I had never heard of Kroger but apparently is it one of the largest grocery chains in the United States. We picked up something for supper and headed home. 

I had brought my laptop with me so that night I was on ancestry.com searching for Vickie's grandfather's family. He had been married 3 times so there was a lot of information to search for. It was very exciting to find the correct names of all 3 wives! plus census records, military records - even the marriage certificate for Vickie's parents! I downloaded the information to my computer then emailed it to Johnny - he opened it up and enlarged it so he and Vickie could read it. 

Vickie has a very interesting family history - I am encouraging her to write a blog about it so the information isn't lost. What a day!

Gettysburg on the way to Pipestem State Park

Sunday, September 13

My alarm went off at 7 am - I snoozed it twice before I got up to shower. We had the car packed at 8:30. There was a Dunkin Donuts in the tech park across from our hotel. We stopped there before heading out. It was 69 degrees, humid and sunny. I was surprised that the humidity wasn't bothering me - I had been a little worried after the lung collapse that I would have some trouble breathing in the humidity - but I seemed okay.  

We were heading for Gettysburg - about 2 hours and 15 minutes away.  We passed a large anti-Trump billboard along the highway. I had seen Biden commercials on TV last night.

We passed signs for King of Prussia - originally a pub named after the King of Prussia - George Washington stopped into the pub when his army was camped at Valley Forge. This is another area I would like to spend some time in. I'm very interested in history, but how could I not love the Revolutionary War after growing up in Watertown - so close to Boston, Lexington, Concord. My kids have memories - I'm not sure how fond - of me dragging them to re-enactments of the battles of Lexington and Concord, Paul Revere arriving in Lexington the night before the battle. re-enactments at the Jason Russell House in Arlington, the Boston Massacre, and many others. I belonged to the historical Society of Watertown which owns the Edmund Fowle House where the Provincial Congress met before and during the Revolutionary War.

We made our way to Interstate 76 West. There was a big Keep America Great sign among others for Trump. We also passed some good sized farms - lots of cornfields - there was one farm with solar panels in the fields. We didn't see any more solar panels on houses and no solar farms. We got off at exit 266 for gas - $2.42/gallon. We got back onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Route 76. We crossed the Susquehanna River which is the longest river on the east coast - it empties into Chesapeake Bay.

We stopped off route 15 for breakfast at Hunterstown Diner. It wasn't too big - the staff was wearing masks - we were shown our table - Fox News was on the TV - most of the other tables were full. Our waitress came to take our order - her mask was down below her nose - the other waitresses had their masks below their noses or on their chins. It was a little unnerving, but we ate and hit the road again - we weren't far from Gettysburg.

Waitresses in the diner made us a little nervous, but we ate there anyway. 

My brother Johnny did all the driving.

We stopped at Gettysburg's Visitor Center - Johnny bought a motor tour map of the battle sites and we drove around the park. I wish we had had enough time to take the narrated bus tour although the map came with an audio tape. It was 87 degrees but did not feel that warm.  

Notice Vickie has her mask on, but no mask on the fella near her.

Johnny knew a lot about the battles which lasted over 3 days - especially day 2. We saw where the federalists' positions were on the hill - we looked down the slight hill where the confederates' line was. On such a nice, pleasant, sunny day it was difficult to imagine the noise, the smells, the injuries and death of the battles - 23,000 Union deaths - and 28,000 Confederate deaths and injuries. We only had a limited time to appreciate it because we still had to drive to West Virginia. 

Vickie and Johnny checking out one of the memorials.

Memorial to Massachusetts' sharp shooters. "In God we put our trust, but kept our powder dry."

Looking down to the rebels' line.

Guns aimed at the rebels.

Very touching seeing all the white gravestones. It was at the dedication of this cemetery that Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg address - no one remembers Edward Everett who was the main speaker - he was from Massachusetts. When I was in high school, we had to memorize the Gettysburg address. It was such an honor to visit this national park.

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

"But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

We crossed into Virginia about 3:30 pm. There were signs along the highway saying that the speed limit was enforced by aircraft!! But I didn't see any! Again there were farms, cornfields, cattle here and there. The worse thing had to be the tractor trailers - there were hundreds of them! And there were only 2 lanes - they were weaving in and out of both lanes! I was glad I wasn't driving.

We went through Hinton to get to Pipestem Resort State Park - it is an old coal town - I want to come back here during the day - it was getting dark. We went up some winding twisting mountain roads lined with evergreens. Johnny checked in at the Lodge. I had thought it odd that houses we passed in Hinton did not have lights on. We found out that there was a power outage - reception gave us some small disposable flashlights to use. We headed to our cabin and unloaded our bags in the dark. We had 3 bedrooms - 2 rooms with twin beds and one with a queen. There was a nice bathroom with a shower, a kitchenette, a dining area, and a living room with a fireplace. There was a deck off the living room - I didn't get a good look at it until the next day. Johnny and Vickie headed off to Princeton for groceries - this was in the opposite direction from Hinton. I opted to stay at the cabin - my phone was almost dead, but I had my computer and Kindle. The lights came on about an hour later - not long before Johnny and Vickie got back.

#11 was our cabin - there were lots of trees on the mountains.

Our neighbors to the left. Each cabin had a fireplace, a picnic table, and a trash bin.

Johnny and Vickie unloading the car after a day trip.

I slept that night - and every other night - with the window open - it was cool, but no need for the heat. I was surprised at the stillness - there was not a sound - no crickets, no birds, no noise. And my bed was so very comfortable!!

Exploring new places

Johnny and Vickie were picking me up at 9 am on Saturday morning to head to West Virginia. They have been telling me about their travels south and out west for several years. I have been to Europe - took a bus tour of Central Europe in 1978 - have been to Spain, have been to London and Rome several times. But I hadn't really explored much of the United States until recently. I went to the Pacific Northwest with Danno when he was trying to hit every US state - I have been to Washington DC several times - we went back to Seattle and then on to Alaska which was the last state for Danno to hit - plus I married him and Amanda there on a glacier - I was back again to Seattle when Mairead moved there last summer.

After talking to Johnny and Vickie, I started looking into driving to Seattle this fall to see Mairead and then exploring the west coast before driving home. After all, I am retired - I may not have plenty of money, but I have plenty of time - I wouldn't have to stay at any place too fancy - all I need is a clean bed, clean shower and the internet. Then I was thinking I would drive to Florida where we pick up our 3 day cousins' cruise the end of every January - drive down one way, go on the cruise, come back another way after spending some time in Fort Myers with JB and Tina. But, of course, then Covid hit. It struck the East Coast the worst at first - now it is hitting southern and western states and is coming back in California. Some states have 2 week quarantine restrictions for visitors - plus I don't want to go anywhere with high Covid numbers - and I definitely don't want to go to states that don't encourage wearing masks or social distancing. So my plans for seeing the US are on hold.

But Johnny and Vickie were talking about going to West Virginia - Vickie was born and grew up in Virginia - she had relatives in West Virginia. They love PipeStem State Park where they rent a cabin and just chill.  West Virginia was also on the list of states that Massachusetts did not require a 2 week quarantine for visitors or returning residents - although this did change the day we were leaving. J&V asked me if I wanted to go - so I am tagging along.

Of course, Johnny and Vickie couldn't head to West Virgina without stopping at an estate sale just down the street from me in Mashpee. We checked that out and were on our way - out route 495. We turned off around Milford and drove the back roads for a while - I love this - I hate straight highway driving - I'm nosy - I like to see how other people live. I'm not sure of all the places we drove through, but I recognized Sutton and Oxford - J&V had lived in Oxford for many years. That area is country-ish - the houses have more land - a lot of them have pools - there are farms - cornfields - smaller town centers. Something to look at!! I always say that every town and village - no matter how small or how large - has something of interest - some bit of history or architecture or beauty. I hadn't realized how many kettle ponds there were in this area - these were formed in the Ice Age when glaciers melted and left holes which later filled with water.

After a pit stop in Charlton at Dunkin Donuts, we headed for Interstate 84. We passed into Connecticut about noon. Johnny turned on the Connecticut Catholic Radio station - the music was older rock and kept us entertained. We eventually reached the Merritt Parkway and headed down to White Plains and Tarrytown. We crossed the new Governor Mario Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge - this reminded me of the Zakim Bridge in Boston but on a much grander scale - it has 4 lanes in each direction and even has a lane for cyclists and pedestrians!! It was a nice day and there were all kinds of people walking over the bridge! The views up and down the Hudson River were spectacular. I'd love to walk across that bridge.

We got off Interstate 287 at Oakland in search of a pit stop - the bathroom at Dunkin Donuts was blocked off  - Johnny said that it was a problem at times finding a bathroom when they are traveling because of Covid. So we went back onto 287 and tried Boonton where we stopped at MacDonald's. We settled back into the car and continued our journey. We passed Morristown where George Washington had one of his headquarters during the Revolutionary War.  The radio was playing commercials for sports betting - I was surprised at this as we don't have this in Massachusetts, but I guess the US Supreme Court recently overturned the ban on sports betting.

We reached Lambertville, New Jersey. Johnny asked if I wanted to see David Rago's auction house. We pulled up in front of a plain looking building with a sign for Physical Therapy. Up the steps to the right was Rago's. I was expecting something more lavish. We just walked in - masks on - and looked around. An auction was in progress - but it was nothing like I expected. I thought it would be like auctions I have seen on TV - rows of people - a loud auctioneer - excitement. It was very low key - maybe because of Covid.  There were maybe 10 people - socially distanced - David Rago's wife, Suzanne Perrault, was sitting on a platform running the auction. On the right hand side there were people handling phone and online bids. It was very quiet - not the least bit exciting. A large screen showed the piece that was being sold. Other large pieces were on the floor - there was pottery in locked display cases. We took a quick look around and then headed out.

We drove through downtown Lambertville which is a cute area full of colorful antique shops and restaurants - various types of architecture - it was packed with people - absolutely packed - some with masks - more without masks.

We thought it wasn't safe to stop because of Covid and the number of people without masks. So we continued over the old bridge into New Hope, Pennsylvania which is another colorful village - this time with artists rather than antiques. This place was also packed with people so we decided to stop here on the way home instead.

Johnny is very knowledgeable about George Nakashima - an American woodworker, architect, and furniture maker. We drove by his home and workshop in New Hope - it was closed so we couldn't go in.

Examples of Nakashima's work

We picked up route 202 - we passed farms, cornfields, even some cows! We saw lots of fields with baled hay. There was a chocolate shop with a load of motorcyclists parked outside. Normally we would yield to traffic in a rotary, but Johnny had to yield while he was in a rotary. American flags were still at half staff for 9/11.

We passed an exit for Washington Crossing and the David Library of the American Revolution. I would like to come back here some time. This is where George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River on their way to Trenton, New Jersey. The library contains manuscripts from the Revolutionary War.

We saw a lot of Trump/Pence 2020 signs - large and small - and a few small Biden/Harris signs. Many homes had American Flags flying. The area definitely seemed proTrump.

We reached the Hampton Inn about 5 - it was in a new tech park surrounded by cornfields. The rooms were only $99 each. I had a room with 2 queen beds. Johnny checked in - we entered through a side entrance and never saw anyone. The hotel staff no longer makes the beds - no longer changes towels daily - no longer picks up. If you need clean towels, you leave a tag hanging on the door. The staff leaves a plastic bag with clean towels on your door. No more buffet breakfast - it is now packed to go.

Johnny and Vickie called to make reservations at a couple of places but we would have had to wait until 7 or  8 pm which was too late. So we took a ride in the car and found a chain restaurant - but I can't think of the name. It was not very crowded and tables were spread out. We were hungry by this time. After a good meal, we headed back to the hotel and crashed. Tomorrow we head to Gettysburg and then West Virginia.

Looking back on 2020

Friday, September 11, 2020

I retired on December 17, 2019. I did it more suddenly than I had planned - I thought I would work through the spring of 2020 and retire in time to spend the summer in Ireland. I began thinking of retiring around Thanksgiving for numerous reasons and gave my 2 week notice the beginning of December. 

I was scheduled for a right hip revision on January 15. After I recuperated, my friend Beth and I planned to visit her nephew and niece who were assigned to Rome for the FBI. They had a spare room and said we were welcome to come and stay. We were going for a week to Rome then a week in Sneem because I could only get 2 weeks at a time for vacation. With my sudden retirement, we decided we would have a real holiday so we decided to spend 3 weeks in Italy then go to Sneem for a week. We plotted out our trip and made reservations. I was reading nothing but information on Italy - particularly on Florence - I took online courses and webinars - borrowed tapes on speaking Italian from the library - I was gung-ho to go.

The first inkling that things might not go as planned was Monday, December 30 when I went for preop testing for my hip revision. The anesthesiologist told me that I was anemic and that I had kidney disease. I was shocked! I had never had problems with my kidneys - my blood counts had been low but I was never anemic. So the revision was postponed. Even worse was that I had to cancel my flight to Ireland - I was scheduled to leave for Shannon that night - that very night!! I was going to come back 5 days before the hip revision. 

So the revision was put on hold, Ireland was cancelled. I was reeling - retirement was not supposed to be like this!! And it was only 3 days into retirement! Then I underwent more labs, X-rays, CT scans, cystoscopy. In the meantime I was hearing bits and pieces about a new virus in China. All my tests came back normal except the labs - I was still anemic - my kidney function was still off, but the doctors thought it was due to me taking Ibuprofen 3 times daily in mid December after oral surgery. I had been  told to take it for swelling - I wasn't having any pain. So I took it about 5 or 6 days. My PCP told that she would monitor my labs - nothing else for me to do at this point. I was trying to avoid foods high in potassium and phosphorous for my kidneys - I have been limiting sodium for years for my blood pressure. 

Anyway it was too late to have the hip revision before we left for Italy - and 3 weeks in Italy was my number one priority now that I knew I didn't need dialysis!! The beginning of February we  heard that the virus that had started in China had reached Italy. Then we heard that Venice was closing down. I've been to Venice before so that was not too upsetting. Stupid me. Next we heard that Tuscany had high numbers of the virus - eventually Florence shut down - I was heartbroken - I had been studying so hard - the Medici, the Renaissance, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Raphael, Michelangelo - I almost cried. 

Ireland did not have the virus raging so I decided to just go to Ireland - I had had to cancel my trip the end of December - I was not canceling this one completely. I would get off in Dublin where we were supposed to transfer for Rome. Beth decided not to go - too dangerous. Then Saturday morning, her son Brian texted me that Beth had changed her mind and was going - we'll meet at the airport. Alright! This crazy virus was not keeping us down!

We spent a week in Sneem just chilling. The following week - mid week - Trump banned flights from Europe. We tried to reach Aer Lingus and the American Embassy with no luck. We figured we were safe in Sneem. Then my brother-in-law told us Thursday or Friday that there were 2 cases of Covid 19 in Kenmare - the next town over - he said that we should not come to Kenmare. Gulp! Next Ireland cancelled the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin - other cities and towns were following that lead. This would be the first time in over 20 years that I would be in Sneem for St. Patrick's Day - they can't - they won't - but they did. No St Patrick's Day for me. 

We heard on the radio and on TV updates from the government and medical personnel daily re the spread of Covid in Europe and now there were cases in Ireland. They taught us on TV how to wear masks, properly wash hands, social distance, how to take care of someone at home with Covid, and more. The popular Late Late show was on Friday night but had no studio audience. We heard that Italians must quarantine and can only go out for groceries or doctor appointments. Cases in Spain and France were increasing. Still we thought we were safe in Sneem because it is so rural.

Saturday evening about 4 pm, we heard - then everyone was texting us - that Trump was closing the US border to the UK and Ireland on Tuesday - how fitting - my St. Patrick's Day. We churned over the pros and cons of riding this out in Ireland - we still thought we would be safer. But what if something happened to one of our kids, and we couldn't get home?! Again no response from Aer Lingus or the American Embassy. If we stayed, could we get home if there was an emergency? Could any airlines from Europe get to Boston or any other airport in the US? I wasn't able to change my ticket online. Holy lord! A first class ticket to Boston was $1000 and $850 for a regular seat. What a joke!  I figured 1st class might have more room - we knew from Irish TV that the virus is air borne. So we bought 2 first class tickets - $1000/each.

Holy god! It was about 6:30 pm. I needed gas for the car - we needed to pack - we needed to take the trash to my cousin Larry. We raced into Sneem and filled the tank at Sneem Tavern - the only place open for gas in Sneem. I figured we should leave between 5:30 and 6 am - there shouldn't be any traffic on Sunday morning, but we didn't know how many Americans would be trying to get out of Ireland. We went home, gathered up perishables and the trash and brought them to Loughane. Larry was delighted to see us - he thought we were coming for the evening. I felt terrible telling him that we had to rush off to pack - we were heading to Shannon at 5:30 the next morning. He couldn't believe it. I kissed him goodbye and headed for the car. Beth followed shortly. We went home and started packing. I was still in the process of cleaning the house - I had emptied drawers and piled everything up on the beds in the back bedroom - no time to sort them out now. 

We had no problem getting onto the plane for Boston. The problem was that we didn't get our 1st class seats!! I said something to the stewardess - she was going to look into it but never came back! I was so pissed! But at least we were going home. We had arrived March 1 and went home March 15 instead of March 29.

Life certainly did change then - everything closed down - there was nowhere to go - there was no toilet paper, no cleaning products, no hand sanitizer, no meat. Mike had moved back from Ireland in February so he did a lot of our shopping. When restaurants reopened and started doing takeaway, we started too. We still get a breakfast sandwich at Mary Ellen's bakery and eat at the beach or harbor. We order take away from different restaurants for dinner 2 or 3 times weekly to help the local economy - usually we take it home - sometimes we eat at the harbor. We are lucky to have the coast to enjoy as we dine! I have eaten outdoors a couple of times with friends, but I am not ready to dine in yet.

Last winter I had started sorting through my things - my junk as my kids would call it - giving some away - packing some - throwing some out - I was going to sell my house and move to Sneem. I had been doing this until the good weather arrived. Then I turned my attention to the yard. With Covid all plans are on hold. 

I had tried to go walking at the harbor most days when I was working. When Johnny Murphy was alive, I would walk, and he would talk to everyone parked at the harbor. After he died, I wasn't going as often - there was always an excuse - let me make this phone call, let me just write this note - and time would be gone. Now it was up to me do do the yard work - and we have a big yard. I raked leaves, and we took them to the landfill. I mowed the lawn - sometimes it took 2 or 3 days. I cut as much of the hedges as I could - Mike cut some of the tops. I dug up ground to plant vegetables and flowers. I bought a weed wacker and cleared the weeds that the lawn mower didn't reach. I was up and out every day - I felt like I had a part time job! But I loved it! I loved the fresh air, the sunshine, the work. I would work for a while until my back or right hip started bothering me. I would then sit on the porch with a jug of water and a book or a Great Course on my computer. After half hour or so, I would go back to work - I worked for 4-5 hours every day it didn't rain. There is a ton of wood in the backyard from JB and Johnny Murphy so I bought a chain saw, but for some reason when I sit down to put it together, I  can't muster up the concentration to do it. But it is okay, there is still plenty of work to do. And thank god there is. This yard work is keeping me grounded during this pandemic. If I didn't have this, I don't know how I would be.

But suddenly, I woke up July 26 and I was having trouble breathing - I also had pain behind my lower sternum. What the hell?!? I kinda knew this wasn't a cardiac event, but what happened? I had been fine up to now although last night I coughed while I was eating a salad. Could I have aspirated? Should I go to the ER or wait to see if it gets better? No, I don't want to be gasping for breath feeling like I am smothering. So Mike dropped me off at the ER. He could not come in because of Covid so he went home.

After labs and a chest Xray, the ER doc said I had a collapsed right lower lobe and pneumonia - perhaps aspiration  pneumonia. They were starting IV antibiotics and admitting me. My oxygen levels were in the mid 90s so no oxygen. I got a private room - hurray! Only one visitor was allowed daily - again because of Covid so Mike came in after work - I had him bring in my Kindle and MacBook - I was all set. The antibiotics were the only treatment I received - every day I felt better. I had a bronchoscopy on Thursday that showed a large mucus plug. I was discharged home Friday on oral antibiotics for 5 days. I was glad to be home. As I had done in the hospital, I got up and walked from one end of the house to the other every hour - I set up chairs and would walk in between them so I covered more ground, I had an incentive spirometer from preop teaching, so I pulled that out and used it every hour on the half hour. I was feeling much better. It is summer so my flabby Bingo arms started driving me crazy. I had been lifting 5 lb weights off and on for years - never consistently because the flabbiness continues. So I lifted them. I never lift them straight up over my head and lower them straight down with the back of my hand toward the ceiling. So I tried it. Didn't feel so comfortable so I only did it twice.

Well, of course, twice was way too much - I developed sharp burning tingling pain down the top of my left arm into my thumb and index finger which are both numb. Dear god,  it was awful at night!! I was distracted by day. But could not get comfortable at night - I was in bed - out of bed - up in a chair - out of the chair - on the sofa - back to bed. I'd be up till 4 am or later despite taking Tylenol - I couldn't take Ibuprofen because of my kidneys - then fall asleep in the chair exhausted. I knew this was cervical nerve irritation - I had had it before - it takes time to wear off.

Everything was slowly getting better. I saw my PCP in Brighton - my friend Julie drove me up because my left arm was terrible in the car so I could not drive - I was okay as a passenger with my arm resting on a pillow on my lap. My PCP gave me a requisition for a follow up chest Xray in 2 more weeks and an order for PT for my arm - she was going to arrange for pulmonary function tests. I called PT but couldn't get an appointment until 9/10/19. Things went along slow but steady. My friend Beth dove me to the PFTs at St. Elizabeth's on September 1.

I went estate saling with my brother and sister-in-law on Saturday - they are big into buying and selling modern antiques. My brother then asked me if I wanted to take a drive to New York on Wednesday September 2 - he and his wife had to pick up something at an auction house. I jumped at the chance for a change of scene. My breathing was much better and my arm was better although I still needed to put a pillow under it in the car - and I could not drive very far.

I did drive to their house in Pocassett and we headed off. It was interesting because they drove up Route 495 and got off somewhere near Milford and drove through Sutton and Oxford before getting onto the Mass Pike. It was country-ish as we drove through the back roads - farms, corn fields, farm stands. We got off the Mass Pike and drove through Stockbridge and Great Barrington. My daughter Mairead and I had stayed at the Stockbridge Inn several years ago. We loved it out here.

We were heading for Copake, New York. We again passed farms, cornfields, some cattle, hay fields, baled hay. I was loving this. We arrived at the auction house which was nothing like I expected! This was an old building with a house attached - I expected a glitzy enterprise. 

Johnny put on his mask and went in to pick up a Jewish painting he had won in an auction. I got up to stretch my legs - the scenery across the street was interesting.

From Copake we headed for the next auction house in Mt Cisco. We passed more and more corn fields, some cattle, farms, harvested fields - they remind me of farming in Gortdromagh except no sheep!

We arrived at the auction house - this was a big warehouse. Johnny and Vickie both masked up - he was picking up a table and some lamps. Vickie told me to walk over for a look inside, but only buyers could go in. There were rows of furniture, clothes - things you would see at an estate or a yard sale. As I walked back to the car, I noticed that I was short of breath - must be the humidity. My cousin Larry then called to tell me that he had received the masks that Julie had sent. He asked for her phone number so he could call to thank her.

I had just hung up when the phone rang again - it was my PCP telling me that the pulmonary function tests showed moderate lung disease - moderate COPD.  I wasn't too surprised - I didn't think I had done well with the PFTs, but this moderate lung disease was pretty sudden - I hadn't had trouble breathing before the collapsed lung - sure I got short of breath on stairs but I am fat, out of shape, and a former 30 year smoker. Anyway, she said to follow up with a pulmonologist.

Johnny and Vickie packed up the car and we headed for Darien, Connecticut to an Italian restaurant they often stop at. I noticed I was quite short of breath walking to the restaurant - I wondered what was up. The place was deserted except for 2 people at 2 tables. It was a good size place and the food was good.

I went to bed for a couple of hours when I got home about 6:30pm - I was tired from a day of sitting in the car??!! The next morning I had the same feeling I had with the collapsed lung except not so severe. I called the pulmonologist who did the bronchoscopy at Falmouth hospital - it had shown no aspiration but a big mucus plug he had trouble removing - he said there was a lot of mucus in my airways which indicated inflammation. Anyway, he covers the ICU every other month and sees patients the other month. He is booked up for October - the first he could see me was December. I couldn't wait until December with the way I was feeling. Scott Slater could see me tomorrow - Friday - in Hyannis at 9:30 am.

I parked right outside his office - I had to climb 4 steps - I was almost gasping when I reached the desk. It wasn't too bad walking to the nurse's office - my oxygen level was 93. I was a little short of breath walking down 2 rooms to the pulmonologist. He said that Dr Irvine at Falmouth could not figure out what caused my lung to collapse initially. He listened to my lungs and said he thought it was again partially collapsed. He told me to use the Albuterol inhaler - he would arrange for a follow up chest scan.

That weekend life continued - I could do a little inside the house - and was okay if just sitting or driving. I was short of breath if I walked any distance outside. Monday I called Falmouth Hospital to see if I could have the chest X-ray there even though my PCP was at St. Elizabeth's. And I mentioned that Dr Slater was ordering a chest scan - the gal told me to come tomorrow at 9:45 am and have both done. That night I woke up coughing at 2 and and coughed until 4 am. I went back to sleep - when I woke up at 7:30, my breathing was so much better! I wasn't short of breath. Julie and her friend Martha drove me to Falmouth Hospital. Afterwards we bought breakfast sandwiches and ate at the harbor. I felt good that day and even better Thursday and Friday - I felt back to normal. I heard no results from the chest X-ray or chest scan, and didn't't go looking for them! I feel so good that I am going to West Virginia tomorrow with Johnny and Vickie! They rented a 3 bedroom cabin at Pipesteam Campgrounds in the mountains.